" Writer's block" is the common cold for aspiring writers and established writers alike. While many have their own cures for this distressing phenomena, I have two main weapons in my arsenal for dealing with this all-too-frequent conundrum: meditation and knitting.
Even if I just have to take a couple of minutes to close my laptop and eyes, and allow the distractions around me to lessen a bit, I am able to find the clarity I need in that little peace of calm. Being able to slow down my mind and world for a few moments allows me to really solve the task at hand effectively and efficiently so that I may focus on what I am truly trying to accomplish.
The second tool I use to overcome my writer's block is to pull out two sticks and a string. The simple motions of knitting are mesmerizing to me. Knitting permits my mind to slow as I am only using my hands to craft something physical and tangible, so that I may use that physicalness of the yarn to better grasp a concept I am struggling to express.
Creating something tangible allows me to find other ways to make my thoughts become "real" for my reader and audience as well. I believe that many truths and peace can be found in the simplicity of fabricating an item that a machine could easily produce. Great writing is like a handmade treasure; it cannot be mass produced without passion or thought.
